Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I thank my friend the member for Dunkley for her question and for her tireless advocacy for older Australians in Dunkley, from Mount Eliza to Frankston to Carrum Downs, communities I know so well because she speaks about them so often in the House. I know she joins with me in our advocacy for getting cracking on aged-care reform in the House this week.

You only get one bill to be the very first bill to go through the new parliament, and that bill, for the Albanese Labor government, was aged-care reform. That's how seriously we take it. We have now delivered 17 royal commission recommendations in just our first 100 days, compared to only nine royal commission recommendations that the Morrison government achieved in 17 months. We have, therefore, endorsements from the Council on the Ageing, who said:

These bills are crucial steps in a reform process that, when fully implemented, will ensure Australia will finally enjoy the quality aged care system all older Australians deserve.

The HSU said:

For the first time there is a crack of light at the end of the tunnel.

Catholic Health Australia said that the bills really fire the starting gun on reform. The Older Persons Advocacy Network said that the bills 'represent a watershed moment for older people and their families'. Opal HealthCare said they were 'delighted to see the new bill will enshrine mandated standards'.

The most important endorsement of all is from the people who care for our older Australians. We are joined in the gallery today by Tara—you guys are going to make me cry again!—who works in residential aged care in Jimboomba and cares for Maxine and for Sylvia. Conwell joins us from Thursday Island. He works in the only residential aged-care facility on Thursday Island. Marina has joined us. She supports older generations in Perth, and she says she wants more transparency and accountability and that the actions she saw in the House this week, for the very first time, gave her hope. Rhiannon is here from South Australia. Staff shortages mean that Rhiannon has to get the older Australians in her care out of bed, showered and ready for breakfast all in only eight minutes—well, not on our watch, Rhiannon; no longer on our watch. Catherine works in home care as a community worker. She loves her job. To Tara, Conwell, Marina, Rhiannon and Catherine, on behalf of this House, I say thank you.

Our aged-care workers deserve a whole lot better, and that is why we are not done yet. Aged Care Employee Day is this Sunday, and that's why on Monday we are sending our submission to the Fair Work Commission to give aged-care workers a pay rise. We are going to do what we promised. We are going to do better by you than you ever received under nine years of neglect by the previous Morrison government. You were the focus of our first bill through the House. We are sending our submission on Monday to try and get you a pay rise, and we will continue to deliver those election commitments to keep our promise to the Australian people.

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